2002 NBA playoffs
 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 20–June 12, 2002 |
| Season | 2001–02 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Los Angeles Lakers (14th title) |
| Runner-up | New Jersey Nets |
| Semifinalists | |
The 2002 NBA playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This was the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; the 2003 NBA playoffs saw those series expand to a best-of-7 format. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets 4 games to 0 in the 2002 NBA Finals. Shaquille O'Neal was named NBA Finals MVP for the third straight year.
The 2002 playoffs are best remembered for that year's Western Conference Finals between the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings. The matchup between the Lakers and Kings is regarded as one of the most controversial playoff series in NBA history.[1][2][3] At the time, there was widespread criticism of the officiating as favoring the Lakers, especially in Game 6. Several years later, disgraced referee Tim Donaghy accused the Game 6 officiating crew of fixing the game, at the behest of the NBA's front office.[4]
Overview
The 2002 NBA Playoffs marked the return of the Boston Celtics, who had last made the playoffs in 1995. In addition, the New Jersey Nets returned to the playoffs for the first time since 1998.
This also marked the last appearance of the Charlotte Hornets in the playoffs until 2010. The Hornets moved the next year to New Orleans, while an expansion team, formerly the Bobcats, was formed in 2004. The Hornets were renamed the Pelicans in 2013, after which the Bobcats reclaimed the Hornets name in 2014. The Hornets also reclaimed the history and records of the 1988–2002 Charlotte teams.
The New York Knicks missed the playoffs for the first time since 1987, while the Miami Heat missed the playoffs for the first time since 1995. With that, Pat Riley missed the playoffs for the first time in his coaching career. Also the Phoenix Suns missed the playoffs for the first time since 1988.
With their first round series win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics won their first playoff series since 1992.
With their first round series win over the Toronto Raptors, the Detroit Pistons won their first playoff series since 1991.
With their first round series win over the Indiana Pacers, the New Jersey Nets won a playoff series for the first time since 1984.
With similar sweeps on April 28, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers were the final teams to lose in three-game sweep; they fell to the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers respectively.
Game 4 of the Nets–Hornets series was the final playoff game ever played at Charlotte Coliseum.
Game 5 of the Lakers–Spurs series was the last NBA playoff game aired on TBS.
With their conference semifinals victory over the Charlotte Hornets, the New Jersey Nets made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. It also marked the first time the Nets won a best of seven playoff series in franchise history.
With their conference semifinals victory over the Detroit Pistons, the Boston Celtics made their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 1988.
In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics created the biggest 4th quarter playoff comeback in Game 3, winning 94–90 after trailing by as much as 21 prior to the fourth quarter. (This record was later broken by the Los Angeles Clippers, who came back from 24 in the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012).
With their Game 6 win over the Boston Celtics, the New Jersey Nets made the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, preventing a Celtics–Lakers NBA Finals.
The Lakers’ Game 7 win over the Sacramento Kings marked the first time since 1982 that a road team won a Game 7 in the conference finals.
The 2002 NBA Finals marked the first time since 1995 that a team swept an NBA Finals series.
Game 4 of the NBA Finals was the last telecast on NBC. TBS and NBC were replaced with ESPN and ABC the following season, since both channels are owned by the Walt Disney Company. TBS has aired some NBA basketball in the ensuing years due to conflicts on sister network TNT. The total number of playoff games was 70, including the NBA Finals.
Bracket
| First Round | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | NBA Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | New Jersey* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E8 | Indiana | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | New Jersey* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Charlotte | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Charlotte | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Orlando | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | New Jersey* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Boston | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Boston | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Philadelphia | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Boston | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Detroit* | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Detroit* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E7 | Toronto | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | New Jersey* | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | LA Lakers | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Sacramento* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W8 | Utah | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Sacramento* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Dallas | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Dallas | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Minnesota | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Sacramento* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| W3 | LA Lakers | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | LA Lakers | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Portland | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | LA Lakers | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | San Antonio* | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | San Antonio* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W7 | Seattle | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
- * Division winner
- Bold Series winner
- Italic Team with home-court advantage
Playoff qualifying
Western Conference
Best record in NBA
The Sacramento Kings clinched the best record in the NBA and earned home-court advantage throughout the entire playoffs.
Clinched a playoff berth
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:
- Sacramento Kings (61–21, clinched Pacific division)
- San Antonio Spurs (58–24, clinched Midwest division)
- Los Angeles Lakers (58–24)
- Dallas Mavericks (57–25)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (50–32)
- Portland Trail Blazers (49–33)
- Seattle SuperSonics (45–37)
- Utah Jazz (44–38)
Eastern Conference
Best record in conference
The New Jersey Nets clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference and earned home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Clinched a playoff berth
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:
- New Jersey Nets (52–30, clinched Atlantic division)
- Detroit Pistons (50–32, clinched Central division)
- Boston Celtics (49–33)
- Charlotte Hornets (44–38, 3–1 head-to-head vs. ORL)
- Orlando Magic (44–38, 1–3 head-to-head vs. CHA)
- Philadelphia 76ers (43–39)
- Toronto Raptors (42–40, 3–1 head-to-head vs. IND)
- Indiana Pacers (42–40, 1–3 head-to-head vs. TOR)
First round
Eastern Conference first round
(1) New Jersey Nets vs. (8) Indiana Pacers
Although the Nets won the series in 5, it would be most remarkable for more playoff heroics by Reggie Miller; Miller banked in a 40-footer at the buzzer to force OT, and then fly in for a dunk over 3 Net defenders with 3.1 seconds left in the extra session to force the 2nd overtime.[5]
April 20
12:30 PM |
| Indiana Pacers 89, New Jersey Nets 83 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–22, 24–20, 11–19, 26–22 | ||
| Pts: Jermaine O'Neal 30 Rebs: Brad Miller 12 Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 7 |
Pts: Jason Kidd 26 Rebs: Kenyon Martin 13 Asts: Jason Kidd 9 | |
| Indiana leads series, 1–0 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 18,555 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe Forte, Leroy Richardson |
April 22
7:00 PM |
| Indiana Pacers 79, New Jersey Nets 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–18, 19–31, 22–23, 19–23 | ||
| Pts: Reggie Miller 26 Rebs: Artest, O'Neal 6 each Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 5 |
Pts: Jason Kidd 20 Rebs: Jason Kidd 10 Asts: Jason Kidd 9 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 20,049 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Eddie F. Rush, Mark Wunderlich |
April 26
8:30 PM |
| New Jersey Nets 85, Indiana Pacers 84 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–21, 21–16, 20–29, 21–18 | ||
| Pts: Jason Kidd 24 Rebs: Keith Van Horn 12 Asts: Jason Kidd 11 |
Pts: Reggie Miller 30 Rebs: Jeff Foster 12 Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 9 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 2–1 | ||
Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 18,345 Referees: Sean Corbin, Bennett Salvatore, Bill Spooner |
April 30
9:30 PM |
| New Jersey Nets 74, Indiana Pacers 97 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–22, 14–16, 20–30, 21–29 | ||
| Pts: Kenyon Martin 13 Rebs: Kenyon Martin 6 Asts: Jason Kidd 6 |
Pts: Artest, Croshere 18 each Rebs: Artest, B. Miller 8 each Asts: Kevin Ollie 9 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 18,345 Referees: Tim Donaghy, Steve Javie, Tom Washington |
May 2
7:00 PM |
| Indiana Pacers 109, New Jersey Nets 120 (2OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–27, 27–24, 28–28, 17–17, Overtime: 11–11, 2–13 | ||
| Pts: Reggie Miller 31 Rebs: Brad Miller 17 Asts: Kevin Ollie 8 |
Pts: Jason Kidd 31 Rebs: Kidd, Martin 8 each Asts: Jason Kidd 7 | |
| New Jersey wins series, 3–2 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 20,049 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney, Derrick Stafford |
| New Jersey won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first NBA playoff meeting between the Pacers and the Nets. As members of the ABA, both teams met in the 1972 ABA Finals, where the Pacers won 4–2.[6]
(2) Detroit Pistons vs. (7) Toronto Raptors
This series involved two teams that had exceeded expectations during the season. It was also the first time that professional sports teams from Detroit and Toronto met in a postseason series since the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs met in the 1993 Norris Division Semifinals, but no two teams from the two cities have met in a postseason series since. The Detroit Pistons were coming off a year where they had lost 50 games. The Raptors had lost their star forward, Vince Carter, for the remainder of the season. As a result, the Raptors lost 13 straight games without him. Although they looked down and out of playoff contention, the Raptors went on a surge, winning 12 of their last 14 games, locking up the 7th seed. The home team won each game of the series, with the Pistons winning the decisive Game 5 by 3 points. Raptors' Guard, Chris Childs, attempted to draw a foul on a three-point shot, instead of passing it to an open Dell Curry. In the post game interview, Childs stated that he thought the team was down by four points, not three. Detroit advanced to face the Boston Celtics in the second round. Meanwhile, Toronto, with a 39 year old Hakeem Olajuwon playing his final game, was on the couch.
April 21
8:30 PM |
| Toronto Raptors 63, Detroit Pistons 85 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 9–16, 25–26, 11–23, 18–20 | ||
| Pts: Antonio Davis 15 Rebs: Antonio Davis 14 Asts: Alvin Williams 6 |
Pts: Jerry Stackhouse 20 Rebs: Ben Wallace 20 Asts: Jerry Stackhouse 4 | |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Scott Foster, Bennett Salvatore, Don Vaden |
April 24
7:00 PM |
| Toronto Raptors 91, Detroit Pistons 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–27, 19–19, 18–26, 24–24 | ||
| Pts: Chris Childs 22 Rebs: Antonio Davis 14 Asts: Chris Childs 14 |
Pts: Jerry Stackhouse 31 Rebs: Ben Wallace 15 Asts: three players 4 each | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–0 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Joe Crawford, Ken Mauer, Derrick Stafford |
April 27
8:30 PM |
| Detroit Pistons 84, Toronto Raptors 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–26, 23–25, 27–28, 17–15 | ||
| Pts: Chucky Atkins 21 Rebs: Ben Wallace 11 Asts: Jerry Stackhouse 4 |
Pts: Antonio Davis 30 Rebs: Antonio Davis 8 Asts: Chris Childs 10 | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 | ||
April 29
7:30 PM |
| Detroit Pistons 83, Toronto Raptors 89 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–21, 15–25, 25–20, 22–23 | ||
| Pts: Chucky Atkins 20 Rebs: Ben Wallace 12 Asts: Clifford Robinson 6 |
Pts: Morris Peterson 20 Rebs: Keon Clark 16 Asts: Alvin Williams 9 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 20,112 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Ron Garretson, Mark Wunderlich |
May 2
8:30 PM |
| Toronto Raptors 82, Detroit Pistons 85 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–21, 22–25, 11–17, 23–22 | ||
| Pts: Dell Curry 17 Rebs: Antonio Davis 12 Asts: Childs, Williams 6 each |
Pts: Corliss Williamson 23 Rebs: Ben Wallace 17 Asts: Jerry Stackhouse 7 | |
| Detroit wins series, 3–2 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Steve Javie, Eddie F. Rush |
Game 5 is Hakeem Olajuwon's final NBA game.
| Detroit won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Pistons and the Raptors.[7]
(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) Philadelphia 76ers
This series marked the return of the Celtics to the playoffs for the first time in seven years, and they faced the reigning Eastern Conference champion in the first round. The first two games were played in Boston, where the Celtics won both games resoundingly. The 76ers fought back, however, and with Allen Iverson scoring 42 points the 76ers won Game 3 and stayed alive. In Game 4, Iverson was slowed down, scoring 26 points on just 9-of-26 shooting, and Antoine Walker stepped up for the Celtics, scoring 25. But Iverson's play at the end making a layup, scoring off an Eric Snow steal, and hitting some free throws after Walker drilled a three sealed the victory for the 76ers. This set the stage for a Game 5 in Boston to decide the series. The Celtics had control on this game throughout, but the 76ers kept within striking distance into the 4th quarter. But Boston went on an amazing streak of three-pointers, hitting an NBA playoff record nine of them in the 4th quarter and 19 in the game. Paul Pierce led the way with 46, on 8-10 shooting from downtown, and Boston won in a huge blowout, sending them to the conference semifinals to face second-seed Detroit.
April 21
12:30 PM |
| Philadelphia 76ers 82, Boston Celtics 92 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–31, 20–23, 11–19, 23–19 | ||
| Pts: Allen Iverson 20 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 11 Asts: Eric Snow 5 |
Pts: Paul Pierce 31 Rebs: Paul Pierce 11 Asts: Kenny Anderson 5 | |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 | ||
FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Sean Corbin, Steve Javie, Tom Washington |
April 25
8:00 PM |
| Philadelphia 76ers 85, Boston Celtics 93 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–26, 19–22, 21–21, 24–24 | ||
| Pts: Allen Iverson 29 Rebs: Derrick Coleman 13 Asts: Allen Iverson 7 |
Pts: Paul Pierce 25 Rebs: Pierce, Walker 10 each Asts: three players 4 each | |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 | ||
April 28
12:30 PM |
| Boston Celtics 103, Philadelphia 76ers 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–30, 31–28, 29–25, 22–25 | ||
| Pts: Paul Pierce 29 Rebs: Rodney Rogers 11 Asts: Paul Pierce 7 |
Pts: Allen Iverson 42 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 11 Asts: Eric Snow 5 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 | ||
First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 20,689 Referees: Joe Crawford, Hue Hollins, Ken Mauer |
May 1
8:00 PM |
| Boston Celtics 81, Philadelphia 76ers 83 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–16, 16–22, 25–18, 20–27 | ||
| Pts: Antoine Walker 25 Rebs: Paul Pierce 8 Asts: Kenny Anderson 8 |
Pts: Allen Iverson 28 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 14 Asts: Eric Snow 11 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 20,904 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Mike Callahan, Ron Garretson |
May 3
7:00 PM |
| Philadelphia 76ers 87, Boston Celtics 120 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–27, 25–32, 20–18, 20–43 | ||
| Pts: Allen Iverson 31 Rebs: Matt Harpring 8 Asts: Iverson, McKie 4 each |
Pts: Paul Pierce 46 Rebs: Antoine Walker 9 Asts: Pierce, Walker 6 each | |
| Boston wins series, 3–2 | ||
FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Dan Crawford, Greg Willard |
| Philadelphia won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the 19th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning 10 of the first 18 meetings.
| Boston leads 10–8 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(4) Charlotte Hornets vs. (5) Orlando Magic
April 20
8:30 PM |
| Orlando Magic 79, Charlotte Hornets 80 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–20, 16–19, 24–18, 11–23 | ||
| Pts: Tracy McGrady 20 Rebs: Horace Grant 10 Asts: Tracy McGrady 6 |
Pts: Baron Davis 28 Rebs: P. J. Brown 15 Asts: Baron Davis 7 | |
| Charlotte leads series, 1–0 | ||
Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina
Attendance: 9,505 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Eddie F. Rush, Mark Wunderlich |
April 23
8:00 PM |
| Orlando Magic 111, Charlotte Hornets 103 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–26, 35–21, 15–28, 22–24, Overtime: 12–4 | ||
| Pts: Tracy McGrady 31 Rebs: Tracy McGrady 11 Asts: Tracy McGrady 7 |
Pts: Elden Campbell 27 Rebs: Elden Campbell 13 Asts: Baron Davis 10 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina
Attendance: 10,323 Referees: Nolan Fine, Joe Forte, Steve Javie |
April 27
12:30 PM |
| Charlotte Hornets 110, Orlando Magic 100 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–27, 23–18, 16–24, 26–23, Overtime: 18–8 | ||
| Pts: Baron Davis 33 Rebs: Baron Davis 14 Asts: Baron Davis 10 |
Pts: Tracy McGrady 37 Rebs: Garrity, Grant 10 each Asts: Darrell Armstrong 8 | |
| Charlotte leads series, 2–1 | ||
TD Waterhouse Centre, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 16,754 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Luis Grillo, Derrick Stafford |
April 30
7:00 PM |
| Charlotte Hornets 102, Orlando Magic 85 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–24, 26–17, 24–28, 27–16 | ||
| Pts: Baron Davis 28 Rebs: Baron Davis 11 Asts: Baron Davis 10 |
Pts: Tracy McGrady 35 Rebs: Patrick Ewing 10 Asts: Tracy McGrady 6 | |
| Charlotte wins series, 3–1 | ||
TD Waterhouse Centre, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 16,254 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney, Hue Hollins |
Game 4 is Patrick Ewing's final NBA game.
| Charlotte won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Magic and the Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats franchise.[9]
Western Conference first round
(1) Sacramento Kings vs. (8) Utah Jazz
April 20
3:00 PM |
| Utah Jazz 86, Sacramento Kings 89 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–25, 27–21, 17–25, 22–18 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone 25 Rebs: Donyell Marshall 10 Asts: John Stockton 12 |
Pts: Chris Webber 24 Rebs: Chris Webber 12 Asts: Chris Webber 7 | |
| Sacramento leads series, 1–0 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California
Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Ron Garretson, Blane Reichelt |
April 23
10:30 PM |
| Utah Jazz 93, Sacramento Kings 86 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 15–14, 29–15, 20–23, 29–34 | ||
| Pts: Donyell Marshall 19 Rebs: Karl Malone 12 Asts: John Stockton 12 |
Pts: Vlade Divac 21 Rebs: Chris Webber 9 Asts: Doug Christie 5 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California
Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Mike Callahan, Monty McCutchen |
April 27
3:00 PM |
| Sacramento Kings 90, Utah Jazz 87 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–21, 14–24, 23–21, 21–21 | ||
| Pts: Mike Bibby 26 Rebs: Chris Webber 13 Asts: Mike Bibby 5 |
Pts: Karl Malone 23 Rebs: Malone, Russell 6 each Asts: Malone, Stockton 7 each | |
| Sacramento leads series, 2–1 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 19,911 Referees: David Jones, Eddie F. Rush, Greg Willard |
April 29
10:00 PM |
| Sacramento Kings 91, Utah Jazz 86 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–20, 18–20, 21–22, 24–24 | ||
| Pts: Peja Stojaković 30 Rebs: Chris Webber 9 Asts: Doug Christie 9 |
Pts: Karl Malone 14 Rebs: Greg Ostertag 15 Asts: John Stockton 9 | |
| Sacramento wins series, 3–1 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Dan Crawford, Don Vaden |
| Sacramento won 4–0 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning the first meeting.
| Utah leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Seattle SuperSonics
April 20
5:30 PM |
| Seattle SuperSonics 89, San Antonio Spurs 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–24, 23–28, 13–38, 24–20 | ||
| Pts: Vin Baker 22 Rebs: Vin Baker 7 Asts: four players 2 each |
Pts: Duncan, Parker 21 each Rebs: Tim Duncan 10 Asts: Tim Duncan 11 | |
| San Antonio leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 22
9:30 PM |
| Seattle SuperSonics 98, San Antonio Spurs 90 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–36, 30–18, 21–17, 25–19 | ||
| Pts: Gary Payton 21 Rebs: Gary Payton 11 Asts: Gary Payton 5 |
Pts: Tim Duncan 32 Rebs: Tim Duncan 12 Asts: Tim Duncan 3 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
April 27
5:30 PM |
| San Antonio Spurs 102, Seattle SuperSonics 75 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–21, 34–18, 22–15, 23–21 | ||
| Pts: Tim Duncan 27 Rebs: Tim Duncan 13 Asts: Tim Duncan 5 |
Pts: Gary Payton 20 Rebs: Brent Barry 8 Asts: Gary Payton 6 | |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–1 | ||
May 1
10:30 PM |
| San Antonio Spurs 79, Seattle SuperSonics 91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 13–24, 18–33, 28–19, 20–15 | ||
| Pts: Malik Rose 28 Rebs: Malik Rose 13 Asts: Porter, Rose 3 each |
Pts: Gary Payton 28 Rebs: Gary Payton 12 Asts: Gary Payton 11 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
May 3
9:30 PM |
| Seattle SuperSonics 78, San Antonio Spurs 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 10–27, 16–28, 32–26, 20–20 | ||
| Pts: Gary Payton 23 Rebs: Gary Payton 9 Asts: Gary Payton 5 |
Pts: Tim Duncan 23 Rebs: Malik Rose 13 Asts: Steve Smith 6 | |
| San Antonio wins series, 3–2 | ||
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 23,369 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Mike Callahan, Tom Washington |
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning the first meeting.
| San Antonio leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers
April 21
5:30 PM |
| Portland Trail Blazers 87, Los Angeles Lakers 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–19, 21–27, 18–22, 25–27 | ||
| Pts: Rasheed Wallace 25 Rebs: Rasheed Wallace 14 Asts: Bonzi Wells 6 |
Pts: Kobe Bryant 34 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 9 Asts: Rick Fox 6 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Mike Callahan, Monty McCutchen |
April 25
10:30 PM |
| Portland Trail Blazers 96, Los Angeles Lakers 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–27, 19–24, 26–26, 33–26 | ||
| Pts: Rasheed Wallace 31 Rebs: Rasheed Wallace 11 Asts: Damon Stoudamire 5 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 31 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 14 Asts: Kobe Bryant 5 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 18,997 Referees: James Capers, Dan Crawford, Greg Willard |
April 28
5:30 PM |
| Los Angeles Lakers 92, Portland Trail Blazers 91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–19, 31–22, 17–26, 25–24 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant 25 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 11 Asts: Bryant, O'Neal 7 each |
Pts: Rasheed Wallace 20 Rebs: Rasheed Wallace 12 Asts: Scottie Pippen 8 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 3–0 | ||
Rose Garden Arena, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,580 Referees: Tim Donaghy, Steve Javie, Tom Washington |
The Lakers sweep the Blazers thanks to a series-winning 3 by Robert Horry with 2.1 seconds left in Game 3.
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the 11th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning eight of the first ten meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 8–2 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(4) Dallas Mavericks vs. (5) Minnesota Timberwolves
Dirk Nowitzki was virtually unstoppable in this series, averaging 33 points and 16 rebounds per game.[13]
April 21
3:00 PM |
| Minnesota Timberwolves 94, Dallas Mavericks 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–22, 16–28, 26–23, 21–28 | ||
| Pts: Chauncey Billups 25 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 21 Asts: Chauncey Billups 9 |
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 30 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 15 Asts: Nick Van Exel 7 | |
| Dallas leads series, 1–0 | ||
American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 20,010 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Joe Crawford, Hue Hollins |
April 24
9:30 PM |
| Minnesota Timberwolves 110, Dallas Mavericks 122 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–33, 31–30, 28–34, 23–25 | ||
| Pts: Kevin Garnett 31 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 18 Asts: Billups, Garnett 4 each |
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 31 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 15 Asts: Steve Nash 10 | |
| Dallas leads series, 2–0 | ||
American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 20,084 Referees: Scott Foster, Bennett Salvatore, Don Vaden |
April 28
3:00 PM |
| Dallas Mavericks 115, Minnesota Timberwolves 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 40–28, 27–29, 30–22, 18–23 | ||
| Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 39 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 17 Asts: Steve Nash 11 |
Pts: Kevin Garnett 22 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 17 Asts: Kevin Garnett 5 | |
| Dallas wins series, 3–0 | ||
Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Attendance: 18,795 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Jess Kersey, Bill Spooner |
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Timberwolves.[14]
Conference semifinals
Eastern Conference semifinals
(1) New Jersey Nets vs. (4) Charlotte Hornets
May 5
12:30 PM |
| Charlotte Hornets 93, New Jersey Nets 99 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–26, 29–19, 22–32, 20–22 | ||
| Pts: Baron Davis 23 Rebs: P. J. Brown 9 Asts: David Wesley 8 |
Pts: Jason Kidd 21 Rebs: Jason Kidd 7 Asts: Jason Kidd 7 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 1–0 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 19,071 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Eddie F. Rush, Greg Willard |
May 7
8:00 PM |
| Charlotte Hornets 88, New Jersey Nets 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 31–29, 22–27, 16–22 | ||
| Pts: Baron Davis 21 Rebs: George Lynch 11 Asts: Baron Davis 7 |
Pts: Lucious Harris 24 Rebs: Keith Van Horn 11 Asts: Jason Kidd 6 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 2–0 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 20,049 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Bennett Salvatore, Don Vaden |
May 9
7:00 PM |
| New Jersey Nets 97, Charlotte Hornets 115 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–28, 27–23, 24–33, 28–31 | ||
| Pts: Richard Jefferson 16 Rebs: Collins, Kidd 7 each Asts: Jason Kidd 6 |
Pts: Baron Davis 26 Rebs: George Lynch 12 Asts: Baron Davis 8 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 2–1 | ||
Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina
Attendance: 11,363 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Mike Callahan, Tom Washington |
May 12
12:30 PM |
| New Jersey Nets 89, Charlotte Hornets 79 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–24, 14–20, 25–20, 25–15 | ||
| Pts: Jason Kidd 24 Rebs: Kidd, Van Horn 11 each Asts: Jason Kidd 8 |
Pts: Baron Davis 20 Rebs: P. J. Brown 16 Asts: Baron Davis 6 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 3–1 | ||
Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina
Attendance: 13,864 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney, Bill Spooner |
May 15
8:00 PM |
| Charlotte Hornets 95, New Jersey Nets 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 26–23, 22–27, 23–28 | ||
| Pts: Magloire, Nailon 14 each Rebs: George Lynch 13 Asts: Baron Davis 8 |
Pts: Jason Kidd 23 Rebs: Kenyon Martin 8 Asts: Jason Kidd 13 | |
| New Jersey wins series, 4–1 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 20,049 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Hue Hollins, Mark Wunderlich |
- Game 4 would not only be the last game played at Charlotte Coliseum until 2004 when the Charlotte Bobcats were an expansion team (the Bobcats would make the first of their two only playoff appearances in 2010), but the last playoff game ever played at the arena. Game 5 would also be the Hornets' last playoff game before moving to New Orleans and then being renewed in 2014. They would make the playoffs again in 2016.
| New Jersey won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Nets and the Hornets.[15]
(2) Detroit Pistons vs. (3) Boston Celtics
May 5
3:00 PM |
| Boston Celtics 84, Detroit Pistons 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–22, 21–28, 19–28, 22–18 | ||
| Pts: Antoine Walker 20 Rebs: Paul Pierce 10 Asts: Paul Pierce 5 |
Pts: Clifford Robinson 30 Rebs: Ben Wallace 12 Asts: Atkins, Stackhouse 8 each | |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 20,252 Referees: Jim Clark, Joe Crawford, Joe Forte |
May 8
8:00 PM |
| Boston Celtics 85, Detroit Pistons 77 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–20, 22–16, 17–23, 18–18 | ||
| Pts: Paul Pierce 22 Rebs: Tony Battie 11 Asts: Kenny Anderson 5 |
Pts: Jerry Stackhouse 25 Rebs: Ben Wallace 16 Asts: Chucky Atkins 4 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Jack Nies, Mark Wunderlich |
May 10
7:00 PM |
| Detroit Pistons 64, Boston Celtics 66 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–17, 16–20, 15–11, 16–18 | ||
| Pts: Jerry Stackhouse 19 Rebs: Ben Wallace 21 Asts: Clifford Robinson 5 |
Pts: Paul Pierce 19 Rebs: Tony Battie 10 Asts: Paul Pierce 5 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 | ||
FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Scott Foster |
May 12
3:00 PM |
| Detroit Pistons 79, Boston Celtics 90 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–21, 22–20, 19–25, 21–24 | ||
| Pts: Clifford Robinson 24 Rebs: Ben Wallace 21 Asts: Damon Jones 9 |
Pts: Antoine Walker 30 Rebs: Paul Pierce 17 Asts: Paul Pierce 6 | |
| Boston leads series, 3–1 | ||
FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Luis Grillo, Steve Javie, Tom Washington |
May 14
8:00 PM |
| Boston Celtics 90, Detroit Pistons 81 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–21, 20–24, 20–10, 26–26 | ||
| Pts: Paul Pierce 18 Rebs: Antoine Walker 13 Asts: Kenny Anderson 6 |
Pts: Chucky Atkins 22 Rebs: Ben Wallace 16 Asts: Robinson, Stackhouse 5 each | |
| Boston wins series, 4–1 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Bill Spooner, Don Vaden |
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning three series apiece.
| Tied 3–3 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Western Conference semifinals
(1) Sacramento Kings vs. (4) Dallas Mavericks
May 4
6:30 PM |
| Dallas Mavericks 91, Sacramento Kings 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–27, 26–28, 24–27, 17–26 | ||
| Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 23 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 14 Asts: Steve Nash 5 |
Pts: Peja Stojaković 26 Rebs: Vlade Divac 16 Asts: Bibby, Christie 8 each | |
| Sacramento leads series, 1–0 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California
Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Scott Foster, Ken Mauer, Bennett Salvatore |
May 6
9:00 PM |
| Dallas Mavericks 110, Sacramento Kings 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–36, 36–24, 22–20, 29–22 | ||
| Pts: Steve Nash 30 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 15 Asts: Steve Nash 8 |
Pts: Bibby, Webber 22 each Rebs: Stojaković, Webber 12 each Asts: Mike Bibby 7 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California
Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Ron Garretson, Hue Hollins, Steve Javie |
May 9
9:30 PM |
| Sacramento Kings 125, Dallas Mavericks 119 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 38–25, 28–41, 25–25, 34–28 | ||
| Pts: Chris Webber 31 Rebs: Chris Webber 15 Asts: Mike Bibby 9 |
Pts: Michael Finley 37 Rebs: Raef LaFrentz 13 Asts: Steve Nash 15 | |
| Sacramento leads series, 2–1 | ||
American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 20,265 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney, Derrick Stafford |
May 11
3:30 PM |
| Sacramento Kings 115, Dallas Mavericks 113 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–27, 26–27, 31–35, 27–20, Overtime: 6–4 | ||
| Pts: Chris Webber 30 Rebs: Vlade Divac 14 Asts: Bobby Jackson 5 |
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 31 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 12 Asts: Dirk Nowitzki 7 | |
| Sacramento leads series, 3–1 | ||
American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 20,274 Referees: Jim Clark, Bernie Fryer, Greg Willard |
May 13
9:00 PM |
| Dallas Mavericks 101, Sacramento Kings 114 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–32, 27–27, 20–27, 28–28 | ||
| Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 32 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 12 Asts: Steve Nash 9 |
Pts: Bibby, Webber 23 each Rebs: Hedo Türkoğlu 13 Asts: Doug Christie 7 | |
| Sacramento wins series, 4–1 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California
Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Dan Crawford, Joe Forte |
| Dallas won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Kings.[17]
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (3) Los Angeles Lakers
The Spurs led going into the fourth quarter of four out of the five games, yet were able to win only one. Bryant would pace Los Angeles to 2 crucial victories in the Alamodome with 31 points in Game 3 and a game-winning bucket in Game 4,[18] and would offset the steady production of Tim Duncan (who had a double double in every game including 34 points and 25 rebounds in Game 5) with his fourth quarter heroics. It would be San Antonio's final 2 home games in the Alamodome, as they would move into the SBC Center (now the AT&T Center) the following year.
May 5
5:30 PM |
| San Antonio Spurs 80, Los Angeles Lakers 86 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–13, 21–19, 23–25, 19–29 | ||
| Pts: Tim Duncan 26 Rebs: Tim Duncan 21 Asts: Tim Duncan 5 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 23 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 17 Asts: three players 4 each | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Luis Grillo, Jack Nies |
May 7
10:30 PM |
| San Antonio Spurs 88, Los Angeles Lakers 85 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–26, 25–14, 17–25, 15–20 | ||
| Pts: Tim Duncan 27 Rebs: Tim Duncan 17 Asts: Tony Parker 9 |
Pts: Kobe Bryant 26 Rebs: Robert Horry 11 Asts: Kobe Bryant 6 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Dan Crawford, Bill Spooner |
May 10
9:30 PM |
| Los Angeles Lakers 99, San Antonio Spurs 89 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–28, 29–24, 21–19, 25–18 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant 31 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 15 Asts: Kobe Bryant 6 |
Pts: Tim Duncan 28 Rebs: Tim Duncan 12 Asts: Tony Parker 5 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 | ||
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 35,520 Referees: Ken Mauer, Eddie F. Rush, Bennett Salvatore |
May 12
5:30 PM |
| Los Angeles Lakers 87, San Antonio Spurs 85 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 17–21, 25–29, 20–10 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant 28 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 11 Asts: Shaquille O'Neal 5 |
Pts: Tim Duncan 30 Rebs: Duncan, Robinson 11 each Asts: Tim Duncan 6 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–1 | ||
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 32,342 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Mike Callahan, Monty McCutchen |
May 14
10:30 PM |
| San Antonio Spurs 87, Los Angeles Lakers 93 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–15, 23–24, 16–23, 26–31 | ||
| Pts: Tim Duncan 34 Rebs: Tim Duncan 25 Asts: Tony Parker 6 |
Pts: Kobe Bryant 26 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 11 Asts: Rick Fox 7 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–1 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Ron Garretson, Steve Javie, Derrick Stafford |
| Los Angeles won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning five of the first seven meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 5–2 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Conference finals
Eastern Conference finals
(1) New Jersey Nets vs. (3) Boston Celtics
The Nets won game one, but Boston came back to steal game two in New Jersey to send the series back to Boston tied 1-1. In Game 3, the Celtics were down by as much as 26 points (21 coming into the 4th quarter), but they accomplished the biggest comeback in NBA Playoff history as the Celtics outscored the Nets 41–16 in the fourth quarter. The Celtics almost completed another comeback in game four, but the Nets held on for the victory to tie the series at two games apiece. The Nets won games five and six to advance to the team's first of two consecutive NBA Finals.
May 19
5:30 PM |
| Boston Celtics 97, New Jersey Nets 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–31, 22–26, 19–24, 29–23 | ||
| Pts: Pierce, Walker 27 each Rebs: Tony Battie 11 Asts: Kenny Anderson 6 |
Pts: Jason Kidd 18 Rebs: Jason Kidd 13 Asts: Jason Kidd 11 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 1–0 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 20,049 Referees: Ron Garretson, Steve Javie, Jack Nies |
May 21
8:30 PM |
| Boston Celtics 93, New Jersey Nets 86 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–17, 21–25, 27–19, 18–25 | ||
| Pts: Antoine Walker 26 Rebs: Paul Pierce 14 Asts: Kenny Anderson 7 |
Pts: Jason Kidd 23 Rebs: Jason Kidd 16 Asts: Jason Kidd 10 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 19,850 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Dan Crawford, Derrick Stafford |
May 25
5:30 PM |
| New Jersey Nets 90, Boston Celtics 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–13, 26–21, 20–19, 16–41 | ||
| Pts: Kerry Kittles 19 Rebs: Todd MacCulloch 11 Asts: Jason Kidd 11 |
Pts: Paul Pierce 28 Rebs: Antoine Walker 12 Asts: Pierce, Walker 4 each | |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 | ||
FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney, Bill Spooner |
May 27
5:30 PM |
| New Jersey Nets 94, Boston Celtics 92 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–18, 17–24, 25–27, 21–23 | ||
| Pts: Kerry Kittles 22 Rebs: Keith Van Horn 10 Asts: Jason Kidd 9 |
Pts: Paul Pierce 31 Rebs: three players 9 each Asts: four players 4 each | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Mike Callahan, Tom Washington |
May 29
9:00 PM |
| Boston Celtics 92, New Jersey Nets 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 16–31, 22–24, 31–17, 23–31 | ||
| Pts: Paul Pierce 24 Rebs: Antoine Walker 13 Asts: Kenny Anderson 6 |
Pts: Kerry Kittles 21 Rebs: Jason Kidd 12 Asts: Jason Kidd 7 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 3–2 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 19,850 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Bernie Fryer, Eddie F. Rush |
May 31
7:00 PM |
| New Jersey Nets 96, Boston Celtics 88 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–28, 23–26, 26–15, 26–19 | ||
| Pts: Kenyon Martin 16 Rebs: Jason Kidd 13 Asts: Jason Kidd 13 |
Pts: Kenny Anderson 18 Rebs: Antoine Walker 9 Asts: Kenny Anderson 7 | |
| New Jersey wins series, 4–2 | ||
FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Steve Javie, Bennett Salvatore, Don Vaden |
| Boston won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Celtics and the Nets.[20]
Western Conference finals
(1) Sacramento Kings vs. (3) Los Angeles Lakers
The 2002 Western Conference finals is widely regarded as one of the best series in NBA playoff history,[by whom?] with the last four games coming down to the final seconds. Two games were decided on game winning shots and Game 7 was decided in overtime. However, the series was marred by controversy and allegations of corruption. On June 10, 2008, convicted NBA referee Tim Donaghy's attorney filed a court document alleging that Game 6 was fixed by two referees. The letter states that Donaghy "learned from Referee A that Referees A and F wanted to extend the series to seven games. Tim knew Referees A and F to be 'company men', always acting in the interest of the NBA, and that night, it was in the NBA's interest to add another game to the series." The Lakers won Game 6 106–102, attempting 18 more free throws than the Kings in the fourth quarter, and went on to win the series, and eventually the NBA championship. The document claimed that Donaghy told federal agents that in order to increase television ratings and ticket sales, "top executives of the NBA sought to manipulate games using referees". It also said that NBA officials would tell referees to not call technical fouls on certain players, and states that a referee was privately reprimanded by the league for ejecting a star player in the first quarter of a January 2000 game. Stern denied the accusations, calling Donaghy a "singing, cooperating witness".
The Lakers and Kings split the first two games in Sacramento. Los Angeles raced out to a 36-point first quarter in Game 1 behind 67% shooting and never trailed, paced by Kobe Bryant's 30 point effort and 26 points from Shaquille O'Neal. Chris Webber had 28 points and 14 rebounds, but the other Kings combined shot under 40 percent.[21] Sacramento rebounded to win Game 2, paced behind Webber (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Mike Bibby (20 points). O'Neal had 35 points and 13 rebounds, but struggled with foul trouble; Bryant shot 9-for-21 from the field and was suffering from food poisoning which he contracted from a meal at the team hotel, and some felt it was done deliberately by the hotel staff.[22] The loss snapped the NBA record 12-game playoff road winning streak for the Lakers.[23]
The Kings went to Staples Center and dominated Game 3 to regain home-court advantage, leading by as many as 27 and never trailing. They were again paced by Webber and Bibby, who combined for 50 points, and got solid contributions from Doug Christie (17 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals) and Vlade Divac (11 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks). Other than a brief 3-point barrage in the 4th quarter by the Lakers to cut the lead to 12, there was not much help provided for O'Neal, who had 20 points and 19 rebounds.[24]
In Game 4, Sacramento again got out to a fast start with a 40-point first quarter and built a 24-point first half lead. However, the Lakers cut the lead to 14 at halftime with a Samaki Walker 3-pointer at the buzzer that should not have counted (replay was not used at the time), and to 7 after three quarters. They whittled it down to 2 on the final possession with a chance to tie or win it, but Bryant missed a running layup and Shaq missed a put-back attempt. Divac knocked the ball away from the hoop in an attempt to run out the clock, but instead it wound up going to a wide open Robert Horry behind the 3 point line, who hit the 3 over Webber at the buzzer to give the Lakers an improbable victory, which tied the series going back to Sacramento. Horry scored 11 of his 18 points in the 4th quarter, including two more crucial 3-pointers. O'Neal finished with 27 points and 18 rebounds, Bryant had 25. Divac, Webber and Bibby all finished with 20+ points for the Kings.[25]
As the series shifted back to Sacramento for Game 5, the Kings trailed almost the entire fourth quarter, but a jump shot by Bibby off a screen with 8.2 seconds left gave them the lead and was the game-winner in a 92–91 win. Bibby scored 23 in all, and Webber had 29 points and 13 rebounds in support. Bryant led Los Angeles with 30 points, but missed a potential game winner at the buzzer.[26] O'Neal had 28 points, but did not take a shot in the 4th quarter and fouled out.[27]
Game 6 is considered to be one of the most controversial games in not just NBA history, but arguably all of North American professional sports history,[citation needed] as numerous questionable calls went against the Kings in the fourth quarter. The Lakers, led by O'Neal's 41 points and 17 rebounds, won 106–102, setting the stage for Game 7 in Sacramento. There are allegations that the game was affected by the referees in relationship to the Tim Donaghy scandal.[28] The Lakers shot 40 free throws overall, 27 in the fourth quarter alone, and the Kings' big men were plagued with foul trouble (Divac, Webber, Scot Pollard, and Lawrence Funderburke were called for 20 fouls, with Divac and Pollard both fouling out). Webber nearly had a triple double (26 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists), Bibby scored 23, and Divac had 12 points and 12 rebounds.[29] The Washington Post sports columnist Michael Wilbon responded to the calls in Game 6: "I wrote down in my notebook six calls that were stunningly incorrect, all against Sacramento, all in the fourth quarter when the Lakers made five baskets and 21 foul shots to hold on to their championship." For example, Wilbon pointed out that Kobe Bryant did not get a foul called on him after elbowing Mike Bibby in front of an official.[30]
Game 7 was tense, featuring 16 ties and 19 lead changes. In the final ten seconds with Los Angeles up 99–98, Peja Stojaković air-balled a wide open 3, and O'Neal was fouled on the rebound. After O'Neal hit 1 of 2 free throws, Bibby was fouled by Bryant and made both free throws to force overtime. The Kings' offense stalled in the extra period, and the Lakers prevailed 112–106. Sacramento was undone by poor free throw shooting (16–30 from the line), a horrid 2–20 from behind the arc, and a seeming unwillingness for anyone other than Bibby to take crucial shots down the stretch. O'Neal scored 35 and Bryant added 30 in the victory, as all five Lakers starters finished in double figures. Bibby finished with 29 points, and Webber finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. Divac added 15 points and 10 rebounds.[31]
This would be the last Western Conference finals to be decided in seven games until 2016.
Announcers: for NBC, Mike Breen announced Game 1, Marv Albert Games 3–7; Bill Walton & Steve Jones joined them as the analysts. TNT had Kevin Harlan, Danny Ainge, & John Thompson on hand for Game 2.
May 18
6:30 PM |
| Los Angeles Lakers 106, Sacramento Kings 99 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 36–22, 22–23, 24–24, 24–30 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant 30 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 9 Asts: three players 5 each |
Pts: Chris Webber 28 Rebs: Chris Webber 14 Asts: Chris Webber 6 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California
Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Mike Callahan, Tom Washington |
May 20
9:30 PM |
| Los Angeles Lakers 90, Sacramento Kings 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–25, 24–27, 17–24, 23–20 | ||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 35 Rebs: Robert Horry 20 Asts: Fisher, Horry 4 each |
Pts: Chris Webber 21 Rebs: Vlade Divac 14 Asts: Mike Bibby 8 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California
Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Bernie Fryer, Eddie F. Rush |
May 24
9:00 PM |
| Sacramento Kings 103, Los Angeles Lakers 90 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–15, 20–25, 23–12, 28–38 | ||
| Pts: Chris Webber 26 Rebs: Chris Webber 12 Asts: Christie, Webber 6 each |
Pts: Kobe Bryant 22 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 19 Asts: Brian Shaw 7 | |
| Sacramento leads series, 2–1 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Steve Javie, Bennett Salvatore, Don Vaden |
May 26
5:30 PM |
| Sacramento Kings 99, Los Angeles Lakers 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 40–20, 25–31, 15–22, 19–27 | ||
| Pts: Vlade Divac 23 Rebs: Hedo Türkoğlu 12 Asts: Christie, Webber 5 each |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 27 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 18 Asts: Robert Horry 5 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Dan Crawford, Ron Garretson, Ken Mauer |
May 28
9:00 PM |
| Los Angeles Lakers 91, Sacramento Kings 92 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 33–27, 13–24, 28–22, 17–19 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant 30 Rebs: Robert Horry 11 Asts: three players 3 each |
Pts: Chris Webber 29 Rebs: Chris Webber 13 Asts: three players 3 each | |
| Sacramento leads series, 3–2 | ||
May 31
9:30 PM |
| Sacramento Kings 102, Los Angeles Lakers 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–28, 30–23, 19–24, 27–31 | ||
| Pts: Chris Webber 26 Rebs: Chris Webber 13 Asts: Chris Webber 8 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 41 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 17 Asts: Bryant, Horry 5 each | |
| Series tied, 3–3 | ||
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Ted Bernhardt, Bob Delaney |
June 2
7:30 PM |
| Los Angeles Lakers 112, Sacramento Kings 106 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–21, 30–33, 21–20, 27–26, Overtime: 12–6 | ||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 35 Rebs: Rick Fox 14 Asts: Bryant, Fox 7 each |
Pts: Mike Bibby 29 Rebs: Vlade Divac 10 Asts: Chris Webber 11 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–3 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California
Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bernie Fryer, Eddie F. Rush |
| Los Angeles won 3–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning eight of the first nine meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 8–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
NBA Finals (W3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (E1) New Jersey Nets
June 5
9:00 pm |
| New Jersey Nets 94, Los Angeles Lakers 99 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 14–29, 22–19, 27–24, 31–27 | ||
| Pts: Jason Kidd 23 Rebs: Jason Kidd 10 Asts: Jason Kidd 10 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 36 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 16 Asts: Kobe Bryant 6 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
June 7
9:00 pm |
| New Jersey Nets 83, Los Angeles Lakers 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–27, 22–22, 18–28, 22–29 | ||
| Pts: Kerry Kittles 23 Rebs: Jason Kidd 9 Asts: Jason Kidd 7 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 40 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 12 Asts: Shaquille O'Neal 8 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 | ||
June 9
8:30 pm |
| Los Angeles Lakers 106, New Jersey Nets 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–23, 21–23, 26–32, 28–25 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant 36 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 11 Asts: Derek Fisher 6 |
Pts: Jason Kidd 30 Rebs: Van Horn, Kidd 5 each Asts: Jason Kidd 10 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–0 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford
Attendance: 19,215 Referees: Bob Delaney, Dan Crawford, Dick Bavetta |
June 12
9:00 pm |
| Los Angeles Lakers 113, New Jersey Nets 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–34, 31–23, 26–23, 29–27 | ||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 34 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 10 Asts: Kobe Bryant 8 |
Pts: Kenyon Martin 35 Rebs: Kenyon Martin 11 Asts: Jason Kidd 12 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–0 | ||
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford
Attendance: 19,296 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Eddie Rush, Bernie Fryer |
In Game 1, the Nets stayed within striking distance, but Shaquille O'Neal's 36 points and 16 rebounds led the Lakers to victory. In Game 2, the Nets were blown out by 23, with O'Neal leading the way again, putting up 40 points and 12 rebounds and coming within 2 assists of a triple double. This brought the series to New Jersey with the Lakers up 2–0. Game 3 was a close matchup with Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant all scoring 26 or more points. Bryant and O'Neal's combined 71 points was too much for the Nets to handle though, and the Lakers took a 3–0 series lead. In Game 4, O'Neal put up 34 points and the Lakers won the game and the championship, accomplishing the NBA's second three-peat in seven years. Game 4 is Mitch Richmond's final NBA game. Game 4 was also the last NBA game to be televised on NBC.
| Tied 1–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Nets and the Lakers.[33]
Statistical leaders
| Category | Game High | Average | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | High | Player | Team | Avg. | GP | |
| Points | Paul Pierce | Boston Celtics | 46 | Tracy McGrady | Orlando Magic | 30.8 | 4 |
| Rebounds | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs | 25 | Kevin Garnett | Minnesota Timberwolves | 18.7 | 3 |
| Assists | Steve Nash | Dallas Mavericks | 15 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 10.0 | 4 |
| Steals | Baron Davis | Charlotte Hornets | 7 | Baron Davis | Charlotte Hornets | 3.6 | 9 |
| Blocks | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs | 7 | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs | 4.3 | 9 |
See also
References
- ^ "All the Kings' Men". May 7, 2014.
- ^ "Donaghy docs allege refs altered playoff games". June 10, 2008.
- ^ "Kings 'robbed' in 2002 Western Conference finals, Tim Donaghy claims".
- ^ Sheridan, Chris (June 10, 2008). "2002 Lakers-Kings Game 6 at heart of Donaghy allegations". ESPN.com.
- ^ "New Jersey 120, Indiana 109". cnn.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2003.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Brooklyn Nets versus Indiana Pacers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Toronto Raptors (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Charlotte Hornets versus Orlando Magic (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Sacramento Kings versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Oklahoma City Thunder versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "Sacramento 125, Dallas 119". cnn.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Minnesota Timberwolves (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Brooklyn Nets versus Charlotte Hornets (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Detroit Pistons (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Sacramento Kings (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "Kobe Continues to be Thorn in Spurs' Side". www.nba.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2010. Retrieved December 23, 2008.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Brooklyn Nets (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "Lakers vs. Kings - Game Recap - May 18, 2002 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2018.
- ^ Abrams, Jonathan (May 7, 2014). "All the Kings' Men". grantland.com.
- ^ "Lakers vs. Kings - Game Recap - May 20, 2002 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2018.
- ^ "Kings vs. Lakers - Game Recap - May 24, 2002 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2018.
- ^ "Kings vs. Lakers - Game Recap - May 26, 2002 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2018.
- ^ "NBA.com: Kings One Away from a Crowning Achievement". www.nba.com.
- ^ "Lakers vs. Kings - Game Recap - May 28, 2002 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on May 30, 2018.
- ^ Sheridan, Chris (June 11, 2008). "2002 Lakers-Kings Game 6 at heart of Donaghy allegations". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2008.
- ^ "Kings vs. Lakers - Game Recap - May 31, 2002 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on May 25, 2017.
- ^ Wilbon, Michael (June 2, 2002). "Talk About Foul! Game 6 Was A Real Stinker". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
- ^ "NBA.com: Lakers March On as Kings Can't Dethrone Dynasty". www.nba.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Sacramento Kings (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Brooklyn Nets versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.